After breakfast the first cutter was cleared away, and Somers pulled to the prize in her. The Ben Lomond was temporarily in charge of the second lieutenant of the Chatauqua, who had secured the prisoners, and put everything in order on board. Somers went at once to the ward-room, where the two most important prisoners were confined. There were now at each door a couple of marines with loaded muskets, but no communication had been had with the solitary occupant of either. Pillgrim had several times attempted to obtain some information in regard to what was going on, but he was still in darkness. Even the bull's eye in his room could not have enlightened him, for it was on the starboard side of the steamer, while the Chatauqua lay on the port side. Somers ordered the marines to open the door of Langdon's room first, and the late first lieutenant of the Tallapoosa came forth. "Lieutenant Wynkoop, I believe," said Somers, facetiously. Langdon looked at him with astonishment. "Have you any more old sherry that has made two voyages to India?" "This is hardly magnanimous, Mr. Somers," said Langdon, coldly. "Perhaps not; but when officers stoop to such tricks as those you have practised, there can be no great harm in mentioning them." "Mr. Somers, I find myself somewhat bewildered." "I dare say," laughed Somers. "Very likely your friend Pillgrim, or Coles, is in the same situation." "Is he on board?" "He is." "I have not seen him since he left Philadelphia in the Chatauqua." "I have." "You were in the Chatauqua with him?" "For a short time." "I had a letter from him, dated at Richmond, saying that he had changed his plans." "Changed them--did he?" said Somers, who had changed them for him. "Perhaps you will inform me how you happened to be on board this vessel." "I don't object; it makes little difference what I say now. After obtaining the command of the Tallapoosa for Pillgrim, I went to Wilmington, where I was to take command of the Coosa." "You mean the Ben Nevis." "I do." "I thought you were to call her the Louisiana." "We did not always give you correct information," added Langdon, with a sickly smile. "Go on." "While at Wilmington I got a letter from Pillgrim, then in Richmond, informing me that the Ben Nevis had been captured, and that I was appointed first lieutenant of the Tallapoosa, if I chose to take the place. I did choose to take it, hoping soon to be in command of one of the California steamers. I went to Mobile at once, and attended to the fitting out of the ship. Pillgrim wrote me that he should be on board by the 22d, and I had steam up to run out the moment he arrived." "How happened you to tell your officers that Pillgrim was coming down in a Yankee man-of-war?" asked Somers.